Kentucky Special Forces soldiers honor D-Day paratroopers

Photo By Staff Sgt. David Bolton | Soldiers with the Kentucky National Guard's 20th Special Forces Group jump from a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter over Camp Atterbury, Indiana June 6, 2014. The Soldiers were taking part in a D-Day commemorative jump to pay tribute to the more than 2,000 paratroopers who lost their lives during the D-Day invasion in WWII. (Photo by Sgt. David Bolton, 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Kentucky Army National Guard)
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CAMP ATTERBURY, IN, UNITED STATES

06.06.2014

CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. - In an isolated field in the middle of Indiana, a group of Kentucky National Guard paratroopers gathered to pay homage to their brothers-in-arms, who paid the ultimate sacrifice during World War II. Soldiers from Kentucky’s 20th Special Forces Group met at Camp Atterbury June 6 to take part in parachute jumps from UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day.

“We’re doing this in remembrance of that day,” said Maj. Derek Hart, commander for the detachment. “It’s our connection to the past. The more we look at our history, the more we learn.”

This connection was echoed by several of the paratroopers present at the jump site who said the historical aspect was just as important.

“This is to remember our tradition, the Airborne tradition,” said Staff Sgt. Andrew Beard, a Special Forces cryptologic linguist. “It’s a day I don’t want to forget and don’t want others to forget.”

“That day, on June 6, a lot of paratroopers lost their lives,” said Spc. Terry Kirk, another cryptologic linguist with detachment. “We’re doing this in their honor.”

More than 2,500 paratroopers from the 101st and 82nd Airborne Division died during D-Day invasion; more than all the beach landings combined. Words can hardly begin to tell the true depth of what it means to be part of such a prestigious fraternity.

“It’s hard to describe what is means to be part of that brotherhood, but it feels good inside,” said Kirk.

The Special Forces troops maintained a “D-Day” mindset throughout their preparations for the jump. At 20:00 hours on June 5 they held a formation, coinciding with the local time (01:00 hours) 70 years ago when the 101st and 82nd crossed over the French coastal line. During the evening formation a brief history of the airborne operation was read, along with the letter from Ge. Eisenhower that was read to the paratroopers prior to boarding their aircraft. A set of wings was then presented to their youngest Special Forces paratrooper per tradition. The formation concluded with a moment of silence, the playing of taps and a salute in honor of the fallen.

Afterward, the members of the 20th watched a special episode of “Band of Brothers.” The evening provided a chance for remembrance and reflection of the past and for the paratroopers to focus on the significance of their military lineage.

“Those guys back in World War II are the standard because they worked harder and achieved more,” said Hart. “Our Soldiers today follow that tradition. It’s an honor and it’s humbling to work with them.”

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Date Taken:

06.06.2014

Date Posted:

06.18.2014 22:00

Story ID:

133592

Location:

CAMP ATTERBURY, IN, US

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This work, Kentucky Special Forces soldiers honor D-Day paratroopers, by SSG David Bolton, identified by DVIDS, is free of known copyright restrictions under U.S. copyright law.